Chapter 9
“Believe in the magic within you and embrace the warrior spirit. With courage, strength, and determination, you can become the High Knight of your own destiny.” -Imperial Knights.
Capitol of the Everwinter Kingdom
Imperial Knight Institute Headquarters
February 3, 1799
Deon woke up from the morning bell, excited for the day to come
“Wake up. You scrubs,” a loud voice rang through the hallway.
Instructor Cain bursts open their room door and shouts: “Wake up! It’s time for the awakening ceremony. Anyone late will get their slot taken away.”
The loud voice startled all the apprentice knights in the room, prompting them to quickly change their clothes for the awakening ceremony.
Instructor Cain nodded in satisfaction as he watched the Grade 9 apprentice knight rush off. He then proceeded to the Grade 10s room to do the same thing.
“Once you’re ready, line up in the hallway,” Instructor Cain shouted at the hallway, waiting for the apprentice knights.
Soon, one by one, the apprentice knights exited their room and lined up in the hallway as they waited for further instructions.
The apprentice knights were required to wear a specific formal uniform for the awakening ceremony, comprising a black jacket, trousers, and black leather shoes.
Their apprentice knight rank insignia is prominently displayed on the chest of the jacket, while the buttons are a clear white. The trouser is crafted using a black fabric that perfectly complements the jacket, featuring an eye-catching white stripe running down its side.
Instructor Cain carefully checked all the apprentice knights to make sure that they were wearing the appropriate ceremonial attire.
“Good,” Instructor Cain nodded in satisfaction. “Follow Me,”
Instructor Cain led the apprentice knights to one of the training grounds of the estate, where the rest of the apprentice knights from the different institutes also gathered
There are a total of 30 imperial knight institutes in the kingdom, with each institute sending its top 10 to the capital every year for the awakening ceremony.
In the training ground, there are 300 apprentice knights all lined up, and in front of them are the 30 instructors for each institute.
After all the apprentice knights assembled in the training ground, a dignified elderly entered the training ground with two other people behind him.
The elderly stood in front of the apprentice knights and carefully looked at everyone before nodding in approval. The elderly smiled at the apprentice knight and spoke, with his voice echoing throughout the training ground:
“I stand before you today as the head of the Imperial Knight Institutes, proud to address such a brave and dedicated group of individuals. You are the future of our order, and I do not doubt that you will uphold the values of courage, chivalry, and honor that have been the hallmark of our knights for centuries.
You have all embarked on a journey that requires immense dedication, hard work, and discipline. The path to knighthood is not easy, but I assure you that the rewards are great. As apprentice knights, you have already demonstrated your potential to become great warriors, but your training is far from complete.
During your awakening ceremony, all of you will be tested in ways you never thought possible. You will be pushed to your limits, physically and mentally. But know that every challenge you face, every obstacle you overcome, will make you stronger and more capable of fulfilling your duties as a knight.
It is also important to remember that knighthood is not just about fighting on the battlefield. As knights, we are protectors of the weak and defenders of the innocent. We must always strive to uphold justice and fairness in all aspects of our lives.
I want to express my gratitude and admiration for each and every one of you. You have chosen a noble path, and I have no doubt that you will make us all proud. Remember always to stay true to the values of knighthood, and I do not doubt that you will all emerge as great knights and leaders in your own right. Good luck on your journey, and may the strength and courage of the knights be with you always.”
After the head of the institutes concluded his speech, both instructors and apprentice knights applauded.
Even though the speech was straightforward, it enthused many aspiring knights, including Deon and his friends, who were eager for the ceremony to commence.
After the head of the institute finished his speech, he stepped back, and a middle-aged man stepped forward and addressed the crowd:
“Listen up! Soon, we will be marching through the capital until we reach the awakening temple, and I expect everyone to adhere to your training and be disciplined as we march on.
Each and everyone one of you represents the imperial knights, and I don’t want to see any foolery around, Is that understood?”
“Yes, Sir,” the apprentice knights shouted
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“Good! Let’s Begin our march!”
As soon as they received the order, the instructors started moving and directing their apprentice knights to march.
…
On the main street of the capital, many commoners have gathered and are eagerly waiting for something to happen, looking towards the empty street.
The capital's main street is typically teeming with carriages, serving as a vital link to other streets within the city. However, today, the street is completely empty, and not a single carriage can be spotted in sight.
“Mom, mom! When are the knights coming?” a young child asked his mother beside him, full of excitement
“Be patient. They should be coming soon,” the mother said, trying to appease her son’s eagerness.
Even after hearing his mother’s reply, the young child was still full of excitement and eagerness while looking around the empty street, hoping not to miss anything.
“There they are!” one of the bystanders shouted as he pointed to the empty street.
A large crowd appeared in the empty street. In front of the crowd is a knight holding a large Banner with the Insignia of the Imperial Knights
The Insignia of the Imperial Knights is a symbol consisting of a solitary sword set against a winter landscape. The sword represents the knights, while the winter land is a representation of the kingdom of Everwinter.
As the apprentice knights walked through the main street, the countless bystanders immediately cheered, making the apprentice knights shocked by the welcoming cheers they were receiving.
Most of the apprentice knights don’t live in the capital and regard the capital as the top class in the kingdom, including all the citizens that live there. Thus when they received the cheers, they couldn’t help but be excited, with their heart pumping adrenaline all over their body.
The apprentice knights marched on without breaking formation but could not resist the feeling of pride that filled their hearts, visible through their uplifted gazes.
Even deon, who is usually calm-headed, couldn’t help but feel his heart beat rapidly as he saw the countless people cheering him on.
He even saw some children loudly cheering for them, and couldn’t help but thought back to when he was just a child, and how he adored knights and how much he wanted to become a knight.
‘I’m almost there. I won’t fail now!’ Deon thought as determination flashed in his eyes. ‘I have been training all my life for this moment, and no one will take it away from me!’
As the apprentice knight got closer and closer to their destination, their fighting spirit rose as their footstep became more determined and dignified.
The apprentice knights were escorted by official knights, forming a protective formation that guarded the apprentice knights from the bystanders.
After a few minutes of marching, the apprentice knights finally arrived at their destination: The Awakening Temple.
Deon saw the awakening temple ahead of him and couldn’t help but think of the Colosseum or at least the outside of the Colosseum.
‘Is that the Awakening Temple? Why does it look like a Colosseum?’ Deon thought.
The Colosseum is approximately 188 meters long, 156 meters wide, and 50 meters high. The outer walls of the amphitheater are made of travertine stone, a type of limestone that gives the Colosseum its distinct, warm beige color. The walls are adorned with a series of arches, columns, and friezes that create a visually stunning and complex façade.
The lower two levels of the Colosseum have arches, with the first level having Doric columns and the second level having Ionic and Corinthian columns. The third level is made up of Corinthian pilasters, and the fourth level has small rectangular windows framed by Corinthian columns. The topmost level is a simple attic to store equipment and materials.
The Colosseum’s exterior is decorated with many sculptural details, including mythological creatures, gods, and goddesses. With the God of light and God of Sea having the most prominent sculptural details
The Colosseum’s overall design is highly symmetrical, with the oval shape of the arena being mirrored by the elliptical shape of the outer walls. The design also incorporates a system of entrances and exits that allowed for easy access and movement of the large crowds that attended the events held in the amphitheater.
‘Now that I thought about it. We should’ve toured this place yesterday,’ Deon thought. ‘But then again, we only wanted to tour around the outer city.’
The apprentice knights marched through the entrance of the awakening temple. The entrance was big enough not to cause any congestion.
After they entered the temple, the surrounding area became much quieter without bystanders cheering.
The apprentice knights continued following their instructors since they hadn’t stopped moving yet and followed them into the underground floor of the temple before finally stopping.
On the underground floor, deon sees another group of youths with a uniform very similar to theirs, with the colors being only different.
They wore a white formal jackets with red buttons and red strips for various decorations, while their trousers were made of matching white fabric with a red stripe down the side.
‘Are they the royal knights?’ Deon thought, ‘No. It should be the royal knight apprentices.’
The apprentice knights followed their instructors, formed 30 lines for each institute, and were told to patiently wait for the ceremony’s commencement.
Soon, more and more youths started appearing, but unlike the two groups, the ‘late’ youths didn’t wear uniforms but wore expensive and beautiful clothes that their uniforms couldn’t compare.
‘I guess they are the nobles,’ Deon thought as he looked around the youths participating in the ceremony.
Unlike the quiet group of the apprentice knights and the royal knight apprentices, the nobles were quite loud and talkative, with their laughter echoing on the underground floor as they talked to one another.
‘Hmm. Where are the other group from the two churches?’ Deon thought, looking around to find the group. ‘Are they in a different room?’
“What are you looking for?” Lucien, who was behind deon, asked
“Didn’t the books say that the two churches have 750 slots? But I don’t see anyone from the church,” Deon said
Hearing Deon, Lucien also looked around the underground floor, and like deon, he didn’t find anyone that seemed to be part of the two churches
“Who knows, Maybe they are late,” Lucien replied
“Maybe,” Deon said but thought differently ‘The awakening ceremony is about the church asking the gods for blessings, so how could they possibly be late?’ Deon buried himself in thoughts while he waits
“What are you guys talking about?” Caleb, who was behind Lucien, asked since he couldn’t hear them properly
“It’s nothing. Just stay quiet. I don’t want my slot to be taken away,” Lucien said
“I think it should be fine. I mean, they are talking,” Caleb pointed to the group of nobles.
“Go ahead. But don’t come crying to me when they took your spot away,” Lucien replied, making Caleb quiet down.
Lucien secretly smiled when Caleb didn’t reply to him, rejoicing in his quiet victory.
While deon was busy in his thoughts, the room suddenly became quiet. To be precise, the rowdy nobles abruptly went silent.
The sudden silence drew deon and the other’s attention as they looked toward the nobles.
They saw the nobles start whispering to one another as they looked in another direction. Deon followed their eyes and saw a girl with red hair and blue eyes walking towards the noble line.
‘It’s her,’ Deon thought as he recalled the girl in the library. ‘I knew it. She is noble.’
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Thought for Thoughts
* The chapter was longer than expected. I thought I could finally start the awakening ceremony but didn’t want to rush it, or did I make it longer than it had to be?
* Where is the participant for the two churches?
* Is Redhead confirmed noble?